EPA Encourages Americans to Bring their Green to Work

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed the new @ work tool for people who didn’t want to stop their energy conservation actions for 8 hours each day when they were at work. With the average American worker spending 40 hours a week at their place of employment, the workplace offers a unique opportunity for people to make a significant impact in the fight against climate change.

ENERGY STAR @ work is an animated, interactive office cubical with pop-ups of simple tips to save energy at work. To take a tour of the online tool, go to: www.energystar.gov

The site has tips and links to valuable information employees can use on a daily basis—from starting a Green Team in the office to simply changing a desk lamp bulb. Simple actions by employees can make a big difference in the overall energy performance of a building. Some of the tips included in the Energy Star @ work tool include:

Light Up Your Work Life
Replace the light bulb in your desk lamp with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb. It will last up to 10 times longer and use about 75 percent less energy. Turn off the lights when you leave, especially at the end of the day.

Unplug It
Unplug electronics such as cell phones and laptops once they are charged. Adapters plugged into outlets use energy even if they are not charging.

Give It a Rest
Use the ENERGY STAR power management settings on your computer and monitor so they go into power save mode when not in use. Also use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are using equipment to completely disconnect the power supply.

Let It Flow
Keep air vents clear of paper, files, and office supplies. It takes as much as 25 percent more energy to pump air into the workspace if the vents are blocked.

Team Up
Create a Green Team with your co-workers, help build support for energy efficiency in your workplace, and reduce office waste. www.energystar.gov
Set a goal to make your building an ENERGY STAR qualified building. [url]www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=business.bus_commit[/url]

Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption nationwide. ENERGY STAR @ work also includes energy saving tips for building managers, executives and small businesses, information on taking the ENERGY STAR Challenge to reduce energy use, and an email tip card to pass along to friends, family and coworkers. www.energystar.gov/work

“Millions of Americans are already doing their part to save energy by being more energy efficient at home,” said Bob Meyers, EPA’s principal deputy assistant administrator for Air and Radiation. “With help from EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, we can also take many of the same energy-efficient steps in the workplace.”

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through superior energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label is on more than 50 different kinds of products, on new homes, and on commercial and industrial buildings. In 2007 alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved more than $16 billion on their utility bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million vehicles. For more information, visit: www.energystar.gov